


Chrysalism

by swemae



Category: Hermitcraft RPF
Genre: Fear, Fluff, Friendship, Gen, Mild Hurt/Comfort, My First AO3 Post
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-11-23
Updated: 2019-11-23
Packaged: 2021-02-26 05:48:16
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,073
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21538495
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/swemae/pseuds/swemae
Summary: Rainy days can be fun too.Inspired by Rescuing Rusty
Comments: 6
Kudos: 74





	Chrysalism

_Pitter, Patter! Pitter, Patter!_

Opening the door, he leans forward from under the awning catching to see the storm clouds from above. He reached his hand out, feeling it touch his palm but not the skin. Ex should’ve known it would rain. The skies above had been gloomy since dawn, just before he left one of the shops, it sprinkled down. But nonetheless, he had plans today and as much as he would love to be indoors not being wet, he had materials to collect. 

As he watched the world cry from above, he pondered how long it’d last. Would it be over in the blink of an eye? Or would it last until he awoke again? The clouds didn’t seem to move or maybe the sky was filled to the brim with the dark grey cotton that it looked stiff. The whole ordeal bummed him out, he didn’t hate rain but he sure didn’t find it comforting. 

“One… Two.”

He set the diamonds into the chest alongside the assortment of dark oak wood.

“That leaves five left,” Ex thought audibly. 

He set the remaining in his pocket and heaved the purple shulker box from the wooden floor. The store was known for selling logs but also had a shop inside a tall tree-like structure. He could hear the downpour hitting the wooden roof.

_ Pitter, Patter! Pitter, Patter! _

He stepped out the ligneous door, the noise of rain becoming clearer than ever. He released the breath he didn’t know he had been holding until now. The water splattered against his red armor, helmet, and even visor. Hitting every surface on him and around. The air held a chill to it when it went through his helmet’s filter. The wind blew out around the tree; he could see the branches swaying back and forth. Even the signs and banners as if they were saying, “come in, come in,” invitingly to all the customers out in the rain. It was soothing to feel until-

_ Crack! Boom! _

His gloves gripped the box tighter while pushing it closer to his chest. The roar of light came right after, tearing through the murky sky a burst of lightning struck the outskirts of the district. The boom rang in Ex’s ears striking a restless feeling in his chest. He sucked in a breath as terror filled his lungs. He wasn’t afraid of thunder, so what was all the fuss about? His chest heaved slowly, breathing cautiously through his nose. He wasn’t fretting over his demise by lightning but the loud boom of thunder itself. 

His thoughts ran rancid. He stepped backward and bumped into the door without realizing it. 

The hail almost felt like it was nagging him. Berating who he was and what he used to be. While the wind tried to make him stumble and fall. He could hear a snake-like voice but the words too unclear in his head.  _ What makes you so sure you will b- _

He flinched as he felt something or someone touch his shoulder. He opened his eyes that he forgot was screwed shut. Staring in front of him, he saw a hermit-er well he presumed it was one. He never saw a hermit with dog ears sticking out of a raincoat. 

“Are you okay there, bud?”

_ Oh… oh! He’s talking to me, _ Ex noticed. He shuffles a bit before standing straight. Trying to calm his nerves, Ex lied through his teeth hoping to appease the situation. “Yes…” his voice tight in his throat. Frankly, he thought he didn’t hear him. Maybe he spoke too quietly. 

“You’re Evil Xisuma, right,” He tilted his head like a dog questioningly. 

Did he know him? How? Now that he recalled, Xisuma probably told the other hermits. He hoped Xisuma would’ve kept it hidden, there was already enough hermits knowing him!

“How do you know my name,” his question came out louder than he expected, louder than his previous voice was. 

“Xisuma told me,” He stated matter-of-factly, “Though I’ve heard Grian speak of you when mentioning his er- robot?”

“Rusty!”

“Oh, Right right! Wait- Rusty?”

Before the strange dog eared man could notice, Evil Xisuma scurried down the steps though it was much harder now that he had a shulker filled. He had forgotten about Rusty. Rusty must be worried sick. He wasted the day away because he really didn’t know where everything was. 

_ Crack! Boom! _

He flinched. He was taken aback by how much louder and much closer the thunderstorm sounded.

“Hey dude, it’s…”

He swiftly looked at the guy. His brows furrowed. He didn’t know whether to give him a death glare or to cry. He hoped the man wasn’t going to laugh at him. The hermit sighs.

“Can I walk with you?”

It was a simple question. Kind of odd in Ex’s opinion. He thought for a second.

“Why?” 

“It’s not every day you get to meet a new person, ” He shrugged in a cheerful tone. “Besides, you don’t have to if you don’t want to. Just thought it’d be fun.”

He looked forward, up and then back down. Sighing, he nodded. “By the way, My name is Ren,” He outstretched his hand. Ex shakes it shortly then returned back to carrying his belongings. “I own Big Logz inc,” Ren pointed to the building they were previously. “What brings you out to the shopping district?”

“Shopping,” Ex grumbled.

“Nice, my dude. Have you been here before?”

“No, not really,” he faltered. Besides running through it one night he didn’t really know the whole place.

“Well…” Ren spoke,” Why don’t I tell you about the area so you can get well acquainted, that way whenever you come back you’ll know where some of the shops are.”

“Yea, that’d be good for when I need to get something.” The words sounded more dead in tone but true. It would be better than aimlessly looking around the area.

As they walked along the path of the shopping district, Ren spoke about the various stories from Zombie Cleo’s Diorama-Rama to Grian’s unused pickle shop and finally to Impulse’s I-trade. Speaking of the other hermits’ shops with joy occasionally stopping to admire them in more detail. Ex was perplexed as to why the hermit acted this way when the rain continued to pour. He didn’t question it, the guy was boisterous as it was.

“Aren’t dogs afraid of thunderstorms,” jested Evil Xisuma.

“Huh? Hey! I am, in fact, not a dog,” Ren’s ears sprung up in revolt. “Well this diggity dog isn’t, that’s for sure!” He scoffed. Ex chuckled at Ren’s remark causing Ren to smile a little.

Both of them walking through the portal by I-trade, the nether still hot as ever as Ex adjusted to the atmosphere. The red hellish landscape was more manageable than the gloom of the previous location. Ren pulled down his black hoodie that was covering his brown wet hair then tucked his hands into his pockets. The journey through the nether was short-lived as they made it to the new village, far off from the islands. As they stood in the center of the tower, gazing off into the valley, Ex noticed how the storm was a bit calmer here than it was in the shopping district. What a relief. He didn’t want any pesky storm following him home.

“You aren’t so bad,” He sunk down smiling under his helmet. 

“Hm?”

“Thanks for showing me around, Rendog. You make a good tour guide,” claimed Ex.

“Aww really, Thanks, my dude,” He gave a big smile. Putting his hands on his hips, Ren spoke his farewell, “Well if you ever need a tour around the village, you know who to find. See ya, Ex!” At that, the hermit waved goodbye, heading off.

Maybe the hermits weren’t so bad — though a bit odd and strange at times but who was he kidding Ex knew one of the oddest people of all — after all, he lived with his friend Rusty who was absolutely devoted to creating rustic houses.

He made it home safe and sound. The path back was muddy, most of the trees were still intact. Little rivers formed from the onslaught of the storm. When he found his way back into the clearing where the rustic house was nestled sweetly, it calmed his heart. 

Rubbing the dirt off his boots before opening the door. Rusty would have a fit if he got the house dirty so he did the polite thing by doing so. The cold and hollows of wind retracted when the door shut behind him. He looked around the room unsure where his house-mate was. 

He cocked his head in concern. “Rusty,” Ex beckoned, looking around the empty dark room. Everything was the same as if he hadn’t left, no mess except a stack of fallen books on the coffee table he’d put earlier that day. He set the shulker box down by the door and began to take his boots off. As he did, he heard a door unlock. 

A figure wrapped in a blanket came out. When Ex looked up he was met with Rusty wrapping himself further into a blanket, his robotic eyes patiently watching over him. The way the cozy comforter dropped to the ground made it look as if Rusty didn’t levitate from the ground at all. “Did I wake you,” Ex asked. Rusty shook his head, “Been awake.”

Rusty walked over to the shulker, eyeing the contents inside while Evil Xisuma grabbed the leftover dark oak logs from beside the fireplace. Setting them inside, he lighted a flame that filled the room in a bright red glow. The warmth was restored in the home once again. He smiled as he left warmth in his hands again.  _ At last _ , he thought. 

After shifting out of his armor and into something more relaxing, he sat in the quaint living room curled up in a chair reading. His attention wasn’t entirely focused on the pages, glancing over at the window. The noise of the rain was still present, never leaving. Just more muffled now that he was inside.

_ Pitter, Patter! Pitter, Patter! _

“Zoom,” he feels a tap on his shoulder. 

“Hm?”

He turned around to see Rusty holding a book — a sketchbook that he’d given Rusty as a gift — up to his chin. He pats the seat next to him. 

Rusty tosses himself upon the couch, surprising Zoom a little. It wiggles before the bot settles himself leaning against Zoom, the book still in hand. Ex’s chuckling filled the room as he didn’t expect that of all things. Couldn’t he have just walked around?

Rusty looked at him a bit confused but smiled nonetheless. He was glad to make his friend smile just by being himself. He gestured for his friend to take a look at the page. Typical, it was a drawing of a house but nestled in front of the house stood two people presumably him and Rusty.

“Is that our house,” Rusty nodded. “Aw, that’s wonderful! I love it! We should hang it up on the wall.”

Rusty beamed, whirring happily out of his spot leaving the blankets. He grabbed a spare item frame, taking the drawing out of the sketchbook and putting it up on the wall. Ex noticed how the NPC used his hands as a hammer. He stood proud, guessing another thing to add to the house made his robotic heart swell in joy. 

_ Crack! Boom! _

The flash of light and sounds of the storm outside was startling. He winced. Shrinking back into the blanket. Rusty hummed to himself, Zoom not noticing as he began to wrap a blanket around his shoulders. Then pulling one around himself. He looked up, Rusty gave him a warm smile. “What’re you doing?”

“Protecting you,” he spoke.

He didn’t understand what he meant. Nonetheless, he sighed and pat his knee. Rusty laid his head on his knee, ruffling his short blonde hair. “Cozy?”

“Very! You?”

“Me too,” Ex concurred. Rusty began to hum again a tune he knew. He remembers how Xisuma would sing it on a rainy day, guessing Grian must have sung it as well. It was short and simple, repeating verses in hopes of a fresh day. “What’re you humming,” Ex spoke as he continued to touch his hair. Rusty looked up, speaking it aloud. Coming from anyone else, it sounded silly but when it came to Rusty it calmed his heart.

**Author's Note:**

> chrysalism - n. the amniotic tranquility of being indoors during a thunderstorm, listening to waves of rain pattering against the roof like an argument upstairs, whose muffled words are unintelligible but whose crackling release of built-up tension you understand perfectly.
> 
> Zoom = Evil Xisuma, it's a nickname used in Rescuing Rusty.
> 
> Thank you for reading! This is my first post on Ao3, criticism is appreciated. Also, I really hope this isn't OOC I've never written anything for hermitcraft before.


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